Feather Legged Assassin Bug from Australia

Do you know what this is? Location: Martin, Western Australia December 2, 2011 3:46 am Hi, I found this bug/insect/alien on my bed and I’m just wondering what it is. It seems to have feathers on its back legs and can do somersaults if it has to. Do you know what it is? Thanks Signature: Hannah

Unidentified Leaf Footed Bug

Dear Hannah, At first we thought that this was a Leaf Footed Bug or Big Legged Bug in the family Coreidae, but we couldn’t find it pictured on the Brisbane Insect website. Additional research led us to a listing in our own archives that identifies this as a Feather Legged Assassin Bug or Ant Assassin, Ptilocnemus lemur. We had originally misidentified that submission as a Leaf Footed Bug as well. There is some helpful information on the Myrmician website. Here are photos of mounted specimens from the Agriculture Western Australia website. Larena Woodmore also has a very nice photo.